Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has urged young Kenyans travelling abroad to exercise caution in the course of their stay abroad, noting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not have the resources to bail out all Kenyans in conflict with the law.

During his questioning at the National Assembly plenary on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Mudavadi observed that Kenyans travelling abroad should be educated on the dangers of being in conflict with the law in the particular countries they stay and work in.

“We have over 1,000 Kenyans incarcerated in different countries for various reasons; some misdemeanours, while some have serious offences. It is not our wish to see these Kenyans languish in various places,” Mudavadi said.

Awareness campaign

“I would like us to acknowledge that it is important that we engage in a collective campaign as leaders to be able to convey awareness messages to the young people throughout all our constituencies that they should be cautious because landing in trouble in those countries could be painful.”

“You can be isolated; you could be alone, and by the time somebody discovers you are in trouble somewhere, it may be too late.”

Mudavadi, while answering queries from Members of Parliament, also challenged the lawmakers to allocate resources to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to bail out Kenyans stranded in various jurisdictions abroad.

“Parliament does not allocate resources for the government of Kenya to continuously bail out Kenyans who have landed on the wrong side of the law in various countries. Our people should also know that as much as it is our constitutional obligation to safeguard Kenyans, we must also be realistic,” Mudavadi indicated.

Wrong side of law

Adding: “We have to tell Kenyans that they have to obey the law. Once the wheels are up, the law in play is the law of that particular country. Even here in our own country, if somebody is on the wrong side of the law, they will face the consequences procedurally.”

Mudavadi equally urged Kenyans intending to travel abroad to consult with the Foreign Affairs Ministry about places to avoid.

“Kenyans who want to go out of the country should consult with the Ministry, so that we can advise you on the hotspots in some of these areas, so that you avoid going there. Some people have landed in these difficult areas because they did not consult,” he observed.